Natasha Scharf

Deputy Editor, Prog

Contributing to Prog since the very first issue, writer and broadcaster Natasha Scharf was the magazine’s News Editor before she took up her current role of Deputy Editor, and has interviewed some of the best-known acts in the progressive music world from ELP, Yes and Marillion to Nightwish, Dream Theater and TesseracT. Starting young, she set up her first music fanzine in the late 80s and became a regular contributor to local newspapers and magazines over the next decade. The 00s would see her running the dark music magazine, Meltdown, as well as contributing to Metal Hammer, Classic Rock, Terrorizer and Artrocker. Author of music subculture books The Art Of Gothic and Worldwide Gothic, she’s since written album sleeve notes for Cherry Red, and also co-wrote Tarja Turunen’s memoirs, Singing In My Blood. Beyond the written word, Natasha has spent several decades as a club DJ, spinning tunes at aftershow parties for Metallica, Motörhead and Nine Inch Nails. She’s currently the only member of the Prog team to have appeared on the magazine’s cover.

Latest articles by Natasha Scharf

Kansas celebrate their half-century with Another Fork In The Road – 50 Years Of Kansas

By Natasha Scharf Published 14 October 22

Kansas record new version of Can I Tell You for 3CD 50th anniversary compilation album

Bands & Artists

The curious tale of The Claypool Lennon Delirium

By Natasha Scharf Published 9 October 22

Sean Lennon + Les Claypool = Prog, psych and Sgt. Pepper’s all rolled into one

Bands & Artists

Pink Floyd Animals 2018 remix cover image of Battersea in 2018 with a flying pig

Are Pink Floyd about to recreate the Animals sleeve at Battersea Power Station?

By Natasha Scharf Last updated 23 September 22

Cryptic message appears on Pink Floyd's social media accounts hinting that something special could be taking place at Battersea Power Station in late September

Bands & Artists

Steve Gullick and James Johnston sitting in a white room with red monkey masks on

Get immersed in James Johnston and Steve Gullick's haunting album trailer for Everybody's Sunset

By Natasha Scharf Published 23 September 22

Faust collaborator James Johnston and teams up with photographer Steve Gullick for the epic Everybody's Sunset

Albums

Crop of Rodney Matthew's cover for Eloy's Time To Turn UK edition

Asia and Eloy album art jigsaws due this out autumn

By Natasha Scharf Published 23 September 22

Pull apart Rodney Matthews' classic covers for Asia and Eloy... and piece them back together with these new jigsaw sets

Albums

Dead Can Dance's Peter Ulrich to release his memoirs

By Natasha Scharf Published 23 September 22

Drumming With Dead Can Dance & Parallel Adventures due in November with foreword by Lisa Gerrard

Bands & Artists

Rick Wakeman and the English Rock Ensemble outside a barn

Rick Wakeman to perform his classic solo albums at two London shows in 2023

By Natasha Scharf Last updated 20 September 22

Rick Wakeman & The English Rock Ensemble's The Return Of The Caped Crusader concerts at the prestigious London Palladium in February 2023 will focus on some of his best-known material

Albums

Watch Haken's Charlie Griffiths tackle lead vocals on new clip for Digging Deeper

By Natasha Scharf Published 20 September 22

Latest track is taken from Charlie Griffiths' debut solo album Tiktaalika – out now!

Bands & Artists

Renaissance band shot from 1969 with Jane Relf

Renaissance's debut album to be reissued in autumn 2022

By Natasha Scharf Published 20 September 22

Extended version of Renaissance's 1969 self-titled album – with Jane Relf on vocals – due out in October '22

Albums

Black and white image of Nytt Land in Western makeup and clothing

Nytt Land flirt with the old West on new single Dark Country. Ritual – stream it here!

By Natasha Scharf Published 20 September 22

Dark folk project Nytt Land rework album Ritual on upcoming EP Ritual: Blood Of The West – out in November

Tracks & Singles

Feeder's Grant Nicholas on Pink Floyd

By Natasha Scharf Last updated 20 September 22

The Feeder singer and guitarist reveals his own prog past and his love of the UK prog legends

Bands & Artists

Nick Mason announced as the 2019 Prog God!

By Natasha Scharf Last updated 20 September 22

Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason follows his CBE with a top accolade that honours more than 50 years’ service to the world of progressive music

Bands & Artists

Icelandic duo Isafjord in black and white

Solstafir frontman shares first single from post-rock project Isafjord - listen to Falin Skemmd here!

By Natasha Scharf Published 16 September 22

Sólstafir's Addi Tryggvason teases the ethereal Falin Skemmd ahead of new album Hjartastjaki

Bands & Artists

Lazuli group shot 2022 against black background

Lazuli reveal they're working on their "atmospheric" 11th album

By Natasha Scharf Published 3 August 22

French proggers Lazuli tease new recordings ahead of their autumn 2022 shows in the UK

Albums

Listen to Jordan Rudess covering Giorgio Moroder's Chase from Midnight Express

By Natasha Scharf Published 2 August 22

Dream Theater keyboard wizard joins Rick Wakeman and Geoff Downes in prog-friendly album of Synthesizer Classics

Albums

Watch the trailer for Big Big Train's Summer Shall Not Fade – Live At Loreley

By Natasha Scharf Published 2 August 22

Big Big Train's 2018 live performance at Night Of The Prog is out in October – plus band announce tickets for intimate September warm-up show in Hampshire

Bands & Artists